Doctors shortage will get worse without private training

8 July 2007

The Chief Executive of the Australian Private Hospitals Association, Michael Roff today warned that the current Doctors shortage will worsen without increased Private Hospital involvement.

He said there is no way the public system, already struggling to provide relevant training to medical students, has the resources to provide clinical training for all doctors.

“Around $60m has been provided under a COAG decision but much more is needed with the number of medical graduates expected to double by the latter half of the next decade to an estimated 2,400 graduates who will need specialist training in both the private and public sectors.

“Private hospitals already spend $35 million a year on training through various medical schools but state and federal politicians must realise the current real demand and provide further funding.

“Figures show private hospitals perform 56% of all surgery and 68% of same day mental health treatment and offer medical graduates access to a significant and important portion of the procedures and training that they must have” Mr Roff said.

“Private hospitals cannot currently provide the ‘complete’ specialist training experience but neither can public hospitals, we need a system where specialist trainees rotate through both the public and private sectors” he said.

Mr Roff said while the COAG funding is welcome it can only be seen as a start to address the desperate training shortfalls currently being experienced.

“Years ago, private hospitals played a much smaller role in the health sector with funding going to universities which passed it to public teaching hospitals which also receive direct grants from the Commonwealth.

“The existing arrangements give nowhere near enough recognition of the potential of the private sector to play a greater role despite the desperate need for more training particularly to attract more doctors to rural and remote areas” he said.

Mr Roff said while health has been mooted as a major election issue this year politicians must take the running in increasing the role of private hospitals in medical specialist training” he said.

Media Contact: Russ Street 0413 971 999 russ.street@apha.org.au